Night Time Visits
by KanameBlaise
Summary: Leon has been having vivid dreams of someone slipping into his room at night. Is he losing his mind or does he have a night time stalker? CloudXLeon eventual Akuroku and Zex/Dem


It was past midnight and Squall Leonhart lay wide awake in his bed; eyes closed, closely monitoring his breathing. For the last month the swordsman had been having vivid dreams of a particular blond stepping into his room in the early morning hours, brushing his hair aside, and then leaving silently. The dreams were so vivid he had become convinced someone was actually entering his room. So tonight he waited patiently to prove or disprove his own madness.

The quiet sound of boots echoed in the hallway. Leon's heart jumped. This was it. The brunette slowed his breathing, forcing a false calm over his body. The bedroom door clicked open loudly in the deadened silence of the house. Boots fell with a muted weight, there was the metallic sound of a sword, and then… Leon nearly gasped as a gloved hand pushed aside a lock of hair tucking it neatly behind his ear. That was all. The boots treaded to the hallway, the door shut quietly, and he was gone. Cloud was gone. Leon breathed freely, allowing his heart to pound with a childish excitement.

Thus, the secret nightly tradition began. Leon would wait up apprehensively the nights Cloud patrolled late. Cloud would quietly enter the brunette's room. Most night's he would brush his fellow swordsman's hair aside, but some nights he simply entered and left without a sound.

One morning a month later they were heading out for their various reconstruction jobs when Cloud had called out to the brunette. Leon looked over his shoulder to see the blond Solider pacing to join him. "Do you…." Cloud stalled and seemed to change his mind suddenly. "Would you want me to take your late shift tonight?" He managed sounding defeated. Leon was curious to hear what the blond had intended to ask, but the thought of another night of their secret regime was too good to pass up.

The brunette nodded. "Thanks." With that Cloud turned back to the house rubbing the back of his head discouraged.

That night Leon lay wide awake waiting. When midnight came and passed he began to toss and turn. It wasn't that loud hadn't come to see him, he assured himself. It was that he hadn't returned at all. As one O'clock approached, and Leon began considering going after the blond the soft sound of boots graced the silent hallway. The sound paused as it approached Leon's door, and then continued on. The brunette's heart fell horribly. He really didn't understand why he so looked forward to those night time visits but he wasn't prepared to give them up. Leon grabbed a shirt from the floor and found himself padding down the hall.

Cloud trudged back to the house late, frustrated, and exhausted. The swordsman had never realized that Leon's patrol was so heavy with heartless. He had become complacent in his weekly regime. Speaking of which…. The blond looked up to the house. Maybe it was time to stop his odd night time stalking habits. With a sigh the Solider slipped silently into the house, pausing only for a moment outside Leon's door before quickly shutting himself in his own room.

Radiant Garden really had made Cloud complacent. The blond man spoke freely to his friends, smiled occasionally, and even slept with his Buster Blade tipped against the wall. He was nearly defenseless and half asleep when he felt warm finger tips brush a spike of hair from in front of his eyes. The Solider jerked awake -Maco blue eyes wide- to see Leon standing stoically above him.

"You're late." The brunette's voice graveled quietly. His face was expressionless, leaving the other man rather confused. Cloud wasn't sure if he was being scolded or if Leon was attempting an awkward conversation at one in the morning.

"Yea….There were a lot of heartless tonight. It took me longer." He replied spoke. The trail of heat Leon's fingers had left across his skin still burned and the blond blushed slightly at the thought. Suddenly, the larger man grabbed Cloud's hand and pulled him out of bed, dragging him down the hall. The Solider was so surprised he could only stumble along after the lion. With one small heave Leon had the unbalanced blond tripping onto his bed. Cloud was now blushing furiously, and was extremely confused. Leon ignored him, padding around the bed he slipped into the bed quietly. Facing the window Leon yawned, rolled onto his stomach and quickly fell asleep. Cloud sat stunned for several minutes before smiling. He wasn't sure what the catch was, or, more likely what the repercussions were going to be, but he wasn't passing up a night to sleep next to the lion of Radiant Garden.

When morning came Cloud, oddly enough, woke before Leon. The blonde's first emotion was a twinge of embarrassment, but he reminded himself he hadn't exactly slept there of his own free will. He glanced at the sleeping lion only to blush as he felt his body's reaction. Leon's shirt was pulled halfway up his toned torso and the linen of his black pajama bottoms was leaving little to the imagination. Cloud spun back to face the door. He thought desperately for something that would make what he had seen completely acceptable, but nothing came. His mind remained ridiculously blank. With a sigh he stood, glancing back at the sleeping brunette once more before heading to the door.

Only poor luck, and perhaps a bit of bad karma could explain the misfortune of what happened next. Cloud opened the door, wearing nothing but sweat pants just as Yuffie cam bolting down the hall. The young ninja was always the first to breakfast and hell would freeze over the day anything stopped her from maintaining that record. Well, ladies and gentlemen, call Hades because Hell just froze over. Yuffie stopped mid sprint to stare dumbstruck at the Cloud. Her quick ninja eyes flitted first from the blond in Leon's doorway, and then to the unmade half of Leon's bed that the brunette was most definitely not sleeping in. As the grin spread across her face Cloud chose not to speak and simply pushed passed her to his own room. Thirty entire nano-seconds passed after the latch to his door clicked before Yuffie began shouting for Tifa.

Breakfast was as normal as any other day. Aeris made enough food to feed their little army and then ten extra people while chatting politely with Cloud and Cid. Cid read his paper and drank his coffee quietly, Leon ate in near silence speaking only when spoken too, Vincent did creepy, silent Vincent things, and Tifa and Yuffie chattered happily. (Merlin never ate breakfast with the group. He said it threw off his magical mojo. Really, everyone knew he was just too lazy to wake up in time.) Just as Cloud was thinking that a miracle may occur Yuffie burst. She burst like a balloon filled with confetti, poprocks, and coke. "CLOUD SLEPT IN LEON'S ROOM LAST NIGHT!" The ninja shouted randomly over the quiet chatter of the breakfast table. Everyone stopped, and even Vincent took the time to look up and stare. Cloud didn't miss a beat. He had rehearsed exactly what he would do in this event in the shower. (Really, Yuffie was far too predictable.)

The blonde stood with his cleared plate. "Yea, remind me never to take Leon's route again." He complained setting his dishes in the sink. "I was so freakin' tired I couldn't even find my own damn room." With that Cloud grabbed his Buster Blade and headed to work. The rest of the table turned to Leon who ignored them utterly and continued eating his bacon. His oh, so crunchy bacon.

The day went by as always, but his nights and mornings had undoubtedly become the most interesting part of Cloud's life. The first night he had attempted to sleep in his own bed, only to be dragged back into Leon's without a word. The second night he had stood in the hallway just before Leon's door confused as to where he was supposed to sleep.

"Just get in bed, and go to sleep already." The brunette had called without turning from his position facing the window. By the end of the week Cloud had become quite used to sliding into bed next to Leon and waking up to his disheveled hair, and askew shirt. On the other hand Yuffie had become quite used to Cloud not sleeping in his room and she had begun storing her 'merchandise' on top of, under, and around his bed. It wasn't until the second week that the ninja seemed to feel the house was growing dull and decided to press the issue again.

"So exactly how tired were you last night, Cloud?" She asked cheerfully.

Again, Cloud was prepared –thank God for showers- "So tired I nearly tried to sleep on a box of shurikens stacked on my bed." The blond quipped back. He could feel Leon watching him and it made maintaining a cool demeanor so much more difficult.

"Oh, yea, cuz you can't move a box or anything." Yuffie challenged. There was a small 'tink' as Aeris set a plate down roughly in the sink. Aeris "slamming" a plate was the angry equivalent of Cid throwing a transmission at your head. So, obviously, the table fell silent. The healer turned to Cid with a concerned look and that was that.

"Young lady, do you have any idea what these two have been through? I think I'd sleep easier having someone watch my back if I'd lived life in their shoes." Cid growled chewing his toothpick. Yuffie seemed slightly stricken, and sat quietly as though considering a new alternative to the scenario, but Tifa had a knowing smirk that made Cloud shift uncomfortably in his chair.

Later that day, the dark haired woman had decided to follow Cloud on patrol. He really wouldn't have minded except she was behaving strangely. At first Tifa had walked too close, then she had put herself in a position where he had had to rescue her from a heartless –which was not like her at all-, afterwards the woman had spent her time flirting with him relentlessly. By the end of the day Cloud was extremely tired and irritable. He had attempted to escape her at dinner by sneaking outside with his food, but no sooner had he taken his first bite had she popped up and sat right next to him with her own plate. Cloud felt as though he were doing his best to brush her off and even being rather rude, but when she followed him back inside Tifa informed him a little too loudly that it had been "a lovely dinner"

.

Leon went to bed earlier than usual that night and it must have been his imagination, but the Solider felt like the moment the lion had trudged up the stairs to bed Tifa backed off.

When Cloud headed to bed a half hour later he was surprised to find the door locked. Just as he furrowed his brow confused Tifa and Yuffie walked passed grinning.

"Girlfriend problems?" The ninja giggled. Tifa smirked and winked.

Now Cloud understood. Tifa had hung around him all day to get him in trouble. Was Leon really jealous? After what Cid had said at breakfast Cloud had begun to wonder if that may have been the real reason he was allowed to sleep in the lion's den. Besides, Leon didn't strike him as the jealous type. Though, he thought regrettably, the locked door seemed to feel differently. With a defeated sigh the blonde slid to the floor and slept fully dressed, in the hall, with his back to the wall of the bedroom he so desperately wished to occupy.

The following day Tifa followed him again and Cloud made every effort to leave her behind at one point he even told her quite clearly to get lost, but she only laughed and hugged his arm tighter. That night Cloud again was face with a locked door and again he slept in the hallway. However, in the early hours of the morning the blonde woke to movement near him. Just as he looked up a blanket fell on his face. There was the heavy slap of the bedroom door slamming and he was, again, alone in his hallway. 'So hes still mad, but not as mad.' The blonde chose to see this as a sign that his behavior was improving in the brunette's eyes. He was heading in the right direction.

Blanket or not, sleeping sitting up in the hall for two nights had given Cloud a stiff neck, a sharp tounge, and a poor attitude. When Tifa followed the Solider on patrol the following day he was in no mood for games. Just as they had reached Heartless Canyon the blonde spun and fixed his childhood friend with a hateful glare.

"Knock it off, Tifa! You and Yuffie had your laugh, but now you're going too far." He snapped angrily, swinging his free hand to the side in frustration.

Tifa was unfazed. "What's wrong with you? I can't spend time with my friend?"

Cloud was too tired to see the set up. "No, what you can't do is freaking hang all over me all the time! Do you know what tomorrow is? Tomorrow is the start of my 96. 96 hours Tifa. That's four days in which I do not have to do anything and do you know what I want more than anything right now? I want to sleep in my God damn bed for those four days!"

"Then sleep in your bed. I'll tell Yuffie to put her boxes back in my closet. Or were we talking about someone else's bed you want to sleep in?"

Cloud stopped and stared at the small woman. In his exhaustion she had managed to force him blindly into a corner. Either he would have to allow her to follow him and start sleeping in his own bed again or he would have to fess up.

"Leon's" He muttered finally, immeadiatly heading down the ravine.

"I'm sorry, what was that? Did you say something about Leon?" Tifa was almost skipping as she followed him down the ledge.

The Solider spun. "If I say it will you bug off?" The woman nodded sweetly. "I want to sleep in Leon's bed again, now get lost and maybe I'll be able to sleep in peace tonight." True to her word Tifa headed straight back to town, giggling and grinning the entire way.

That night Leon and Cloud both worked a night shift. The heartless had had a population surge and while it was Leon's night for the midnight patrol Cid had asked Cloud to take one more shift before his long weekend. The night had been particularly long especially as the Solider was already tired and sore, but to make matters worse it began to rain just as he made it back to town. Cloud sprinted back to the house, but his efforts did little to prevent the cold water from seeping through his clothing chilling him to the bone. His boots squished judiciously as he treaded up the stairs. By passing thought, and force of habit Cloud checked Leon's door as he passed. The blonde was quite surprised when the door swung open.

Leon was in the process of pulling a dry shirt over his damp hair when the bedroom door clicked open. As the white v-neck slid passed his eyes the brunette felt his heart jump. Cloud was standing in his doorway, soaking wet, looking utterly stricken.

"You ok?" He asked gruffly. The tinge of pink that flushed the smaller man's face was irresistably arousing.

"Yea, I...sorry." The blond spun to leave.

"Strife." Leon called, hurrying around the bed to the door. Cloud turned just in time to have Leon's lips pressed firmly to his. The brunette's still cold hands slid behind the blonde's neck and into the soaked spikes of hair. As Leon pressed deeper the Solider's hand's gripped his shirt weakly. Gradually, the lion pulled away, smirking as he surveyed Cloud's expression. "G'night." He finished simply. Walking back to the window he fell into bed without another word. Leon lay quietly and made no movement to stop him when Cloud left the room hurridly, but his he felt as though a heartless had stuck it's greedy little hands into the depths of his soul. He should have known Cid was right.

The first week Leon had been happy to have the blonde next to him at night so he could work out exactly why he felt the way he did rather than waiting up with baited breath to see if those gloved hands would touch him again. Of course, the morning after he had finally accepted that he was falling for the Solider (and hard) Cid had made his keen little comment that maybe Cloud just felt safter with someone to watch his back at night. Leon had waited so patiently to hear if that was the truth, but when Cloud finished his breakfast without a word of disagreement he had had no choice but to assume Cid was correct.

That didn't mean the brunette had to like it. He had seen Tifa following Cloud several times that day and each time he had gotten just a little angrier. When dinner came and they didn't even eat at the table Leon had had enough of feeling like a pining school girl. The lion had marched upstairs, locked his door and went to bed. He didn't get his kicks punishing himself, and wasn't willing to continue sleeping with a man who wasn't interested in him. Then, when an errand had taken him through Heartless Canyon he had heard what the blonde had said to Tifa and foolishly held up hope, and now…. and now…

The bed shifted unexpectedly and when Leon pushed up in surprise Cloud was standing with one knee pressed to the mattress. As though he were halfway through climbing into bed. He was notable dryer, and had changed clothes. The blonde cocked his head curiously at the brunette's surprise, and smiled as he brushed a strand of brown hair behind the lion's ear. "Goodnight." He said softly. Leon felt a surge of excitement, and the moment Cloud laid down the brunette pulled him close. The lion's last thought as sleep over came him was a happy one. 'Fuck, Cid.'


End file.
